Matala

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I’ve decided to stake out a base near Matala.

This area retains quite the hippie vibe from the 60’s, and I’m almost tempted to go find flowers to put on my hair. The general vibe seems to be captured in a phrase painted on a wall ‘today is life, tomorrow never comes.’

What brought me here, though, is not an interest in visiting the old haunts of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Cat Stevens, as much as I like their music for a lazy Saturday morning. What drew me to Matala is an interest in the caves that dot the cliffs. You can walk around and explore, which really appealed to me.

I have mentioned cliffs pockmarked with caves in other blog posts. These cliffs are special because they seem to have attracted dwellers since times immemorial. They appear to have been inhabited in the Neolithic. Romans possibly used them for shelter (as suggested by carved beds, windows and porches); early Christians used them as places of worship and also as tombs. One of the caves, in fact, is called ‘Brutospeliana’. It is said that Brutus, the Roman General, stayed there.

Nowadays, the Archaeological Service protects the caves, and they are fenced off at night. Hippies in the 60’s came to live in them, and had to be evicted by both the Orthodox Church and the Police. I wouldn’t have been tempted to stay overnight in the caves, but was quite glad to shelter myself from the heat during the visit. Wandering about them was exciting, and the views (both of the caves and of the sea and the port) are stunning. The carvings are quite interesting; some have carved niches which, when seen from a distance, resemble eyes.

If you are keen on rock climbing, the cliffs in the area are suitable for practicing the sport. I did not go rock-climbing, but used the time to hike to nearby Red Beach, which was peaceful and beautiful. There weren’t many people there, whilst Matala itself was quite busy.

The beauty of this area is the subject of a few stories. An ancient myth says that Zeus fell in love with a beautiful Phoenician Princess, Europa. He transformed himself into a white bull and mixed with the king’s herds. The princess was somehow attracted to the bull, and rode it. She suddenly found herself being carried by this celestial bull to Matala, where Zeus seduced her. Europa then became the first queen of Crete.

In the next couple of days, I will have an archaeological feast: I’m visiting Roman Gortyna, the Minoan palaces of Phaestos, and Agia Triada. I’m really looking forward to these visits!

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